"I think that New Mexico was the greatest experience from the outside world that I ever had.
It certainly changed me forever ... The moment I saw the brilliant proud morning (sun) shine high up over the deserts of Santa Fe,
something stood still in my soul."
~D.H. Lawrence

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Some years ago, on a trip to New Mexico (partially house-hunting, partially sight-seeing) we drove up to Los Ojos, NM - way up north of Abiquiu in very rural somewhat desolate country.

In Los Ojos, there is quite a wonderful place called Tierra Wools, where yarn is made from the wool of local churro sheep. In the Tierra Wools store, craftspeople spin the wool, hand dye it, and weave it. There is a retail store where you can buy yarn for weaving or knitting, and they have weavers there demonstrating their craft.

It is a delightful place for a knitter or a weaver. The Tierra Wool yarn is expensive, but it is a New Mexico craft product, so I bought several skeins of it, and took it home to Kansas with me. I put it in my bin of yarn and forgot about it.

I got out the three skeins of yarn the other night, and decided to make something with it. I picked out a very simple scarf pattern, and I shall make myself a scarf made of Churro sheep wool from Los Ojos, New Mexico.

If you are a knitter or a weaver, and you can get up to northern New Mexico to visit Tierra Wools, you will find it well worth the trip. Till you can get there, you can visit their website: Los Ojos Handweavers / Tierra Wools

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Yesterday John and I attended the Santa Fe Republican County convention. It was the first time we have ever attended such a meeting, so it was a real learning experience. The optimism and excitement and energy in the room was palpable: this was a group of people who feel like we are in a good position to make some progress in the GOP presence in our state.

We have not heard an official number of the total people who attended, we are guessing somewhere between 150 - 200. The best part was seeing most of the Republican friends, candidates and activists we have gotten to know in the past year, all in one place, to conduct official business. But the unofficial part - the increasing growth of our presence in Santa Fe County as more and more people get involved in this effort - is the most exciting to us.

Several items of business took place: we elected delegates to the state convention, we elected the county officers for the coming year, and we heard many candidates (or citizens representing candidates) give short speeches. We have SO MANY good people running for statewide office that it will be difficult to choose who to support in the primary election in May.

We had a caucus with our precinct which brings the participation right down to the level of our neighborhood.

County conventions are really the neatest part of our political process, I think. This is the actual grassroots in action, making decisions that will reverberate right up to the state and federal level.

Citizen participation in our government dates back to the first days of this country’s existence, and it is good to know that we still live in a country where free expression of our political beliefs is thriving.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Raymona has been laughing about this since last year. On Mother's Day 2009, my daughter contacted a florist in Santa Fe, and asked them to send me a live blooming plant for Mother's Day that would do well in the climate in Santa Fe.

We have summers that are hot and dry. So -- they sent me a hydrangea -- which loves cool wet weather. Raymona thought this was the funniest choice for Santa Fe - and even funnier that a local florist would not know better.

I watered the heck out of that plant all last summer, and kept it in the shade of our front portal. In the fall all the leaves fell off and the darn thing looked dead. But I brought it indoors and have continued to water it all winter.

Well ... it is coming back to life... and it looks like it is going to be healthy. Maybe by Mother's Day 2010 it will be blooming again. I will tell my daughter so she doesn't have to buy me another Mother's Day gift.

Friday, February 5, 2010

We were at the State Capitol Building today to attend a House committee hearing.

Afterwards we wandered around the Rotunda and the main floor. It was Native American Day and there were lots of exhibition tables and information, as well as a large gathering listening to speeches in the rotunda, and some colorful people in native dress. There were Native Americans represented by the Pueblo, Hopi, Apache and Navajo nations.

The highlight was spending a few minutes talking to Stacie Chavez, Miss Jicarilla Apache 2009-2010. What a lovely young woman.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Today was the second day this week John and I have been at the New Mexico State Capitol at 8:00 a.m. to attend committee hearings on energy bills. Hearing the speakers in support and opposition to several bills and watching the interaction between the elected officials has been quite an education. The sessions have been held on the House floor.

We sat in the House Gallery because we liked getting a bird's-eye view of the proceedings -- although several people told us to come on down and sit on the floor to watch the proceedings, which was nice of them.

Of course they didn't get their business done Monday or today -- I think they may deliberately stretch things out to see how many days we will be willing to come back. I've got news for them -- we can outlast them.

We have gotten to know our State Representative very well -- he was the sponsor of the bill being discussed. Sorry to say he is slick and sleazy. But then we do have an election coming up in nine months. :)